Children in Maungdaw Receive Third Round of Free Vaccinations from Arakkha Health Department

News March 4, 2026

Children Receiving Vaccinations and Landmark of Maungdaw (photocrd)

Locals in Maungdaw say the Arakkha Health Department is leading efforts to provide free vaccinations to children.

Starting around 10 a.m. yesterday, March 3, the Arakkha Health Department began the third round of vaccinations for remaining children under 5 years old in Maungdaw town. This was confirmed by local residents.

The vaccination drive included:

• For children aged 2 months to under 2 years: the third dose of meningitis (encephalitis) vaccine.

• For children aged 3 to 5 years: the first dose of meningitis vaccine.

Similar efforts covered:

• Oral polio vaccine (OPV) for children aged 2 months to 1 year to prevent polio.

• DPT vaccine (for diphtheria, pertussis/whooping cough, and tetanus) for children in relevant age groups.

• Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine to prevent the mosquito-borne brain inflammation disease.

Additionally:

• Children aged 1 to 3 years received the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine to protect against varicella-zoster virus.

• Children aged 3 to 5 years received hepatitis A vaccine and additional meningitis vaccines.

• Vaccines to prevent blood poisoning-related diseases were also administered.

The vaccination program first began last year in December 2025, when the Arakkha Health Department organized the inaugural round across Maungdaw Township. This included Maungdaw town wards as well as Muslim-majority villages in the northern part of the township, such as Shwe Za, Gonnar, Kappay Chaung, Gaw Nya, Kappay Bay, Zayti Byin, and others.

The second round took place on February 30, 2026 (likely a typo or calendar reference for late February), targeting wards in Maungdaw town.

source@arakanbaynews